The ‘Start-Up’ and ‘Hometown Cha Cha Cha’ star is drawing both heat and support from fans.
After being apologizing for being tagged in a controversial exposè, South Korean actor Kim Seon-ho has been at the receiving end of frustrated remarks online, but some fans are still holding out hope and sending support to the “Hometown Cha Cha Cha” star.
On Sunday, October 17, Seon-ho was implicated by an anonymous social media user claiming to be his ex-girlfriend. According to the original poster, a certain “Actor K” got “unreasonably agitated” after he got her pregnant and forced her to “make the sacrifice” and undergo an abortion because he was “working on a project” and was “gaining popularity,” as reported by Koreaboo.
Under the hashtag #ProtectKimSeonHo on Twitter, fans have been pouring their encouragement to the embattled actor, who has since lost most of his major endorsements and has departed from both current and queued projects, including the fourth season of the Korean variety show “2 Days & 1 Night” and his supposed debut film, Sad Tropics.
Fans flooded the hashtag with words of inspiration for the actor while reminding other of the hard work that Seon-ho has done to rise to the top of the industry. Twitter user @heyitsmeecum, despite their disappointment, even thanked the actor for admitting to the issue and apologizing.
Not all, however, used the hashtag to defend the “Start-Up” star.
Twitter user @iksongrain also reminded Seon-ho’s supporters that “stanning should have its limits” and that they should never “trade their morals” for celebrities “whose image is carefully crafted for public approval.”
Two days after the rumor erupted online, Seon-ho issued a public apology which conveyed his regret over his “carelessness and inconsiderate actions,” per Soompi.
“I wanted to meet and apologize to her directly, but I am not able to properly convey the apology now and am waiting for that time to come. For now, I would like to genuinely apologize to her through this statement,” said Seon-ho, who also apologized to all his fans, co-stars, and related staff “who worked with him [despite] his flaws.”
His agency, SALT Entertainment, also released a separate statement of apology which briefly acknowledged the controversy.
“We apologize for causing concern to many with actor Kim Seon Ho’s personal matters. We would like to apologize to all those who were disappointed and troubled by this issue. Once again, we apologize for worrying you with an unpleasant matter,” its statement read.Â
Art Daniella Sison
